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Serious Nonsense

A.C. Valdez

Would you rather die in space or the ocean? Is it OK to leave an apple in an office and eat it after fourteen months? What is the scariest building in the world?

These are all the unimportant questions we're answering on Serious Nonsense, a show with interviews and fun games for you. Serious Nonsense features creative folks like scientists, architecture critics, comics artists and writers, playwrights, actors, visual artists, cultural critics and more.

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22 episodes
Avg 14 min
English

Episodes 22

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Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

Friday · 15 min
Scandals, Redactions, and Corrections! with Amy Alexander
Amy's invited back to talk about bloopers, blunders and missed fact-checks that have caused wars and social media flamewars. Patrick Stewart (RIP) makes a cameo. Which outlet spread mistruth about our dear Jean-Luc Picard? Also, Star Wars fans: are you ready to find love in Alderaan places? Listen and find out! You can read Amy's writing at her site here, and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the Serious Nonsense Patreon and you can get a free sentence read by me as well as, at a higher tier, one of the card games I’ve made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Thursday · 18 min
A Media Literacy Beef with Amy Alexander
Are you worried about consuming garbage media? Well, you've tuned into this podcast so there's one issue. But Amy Alexander was kind enough to join, and she's pretty sharp, so maybe you're doing OK and has some *beef* with the medial landscape as it stands. She joins to tell us about how we got here, the Kerner Commission, and what we all need to do to be better about sorting through vibes-oriented garbage instead of consuming fact-based good stuff. You can read Amy's writing at her site here, and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the show’s Patreon and you can get a free sentence read by me as well as, at a higher tier, one of the card games I’ve made up myself. Bonus! Further reading: Uncovering Race by Amy The Essential Kerner Commission Report by Jelani Cobb (Amy's recommendation) The New Media Monopoly by Ben Bagdikian et al. (My own) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
October 27 · 11 min
Questionable Parenting Advice from Uncle Myron (not for Kids) Part 2 - featuring Myron Kaplan
Serious Nonsense returns with a new batch of shows, featuring Myron Kaplan telling us why songs make us sad, the worst thing to ever happen to dinosaurs, and the meaning of "gnarly." Find Myron at Their Patreon: Your Frenetic Friend. They're also very good at juggling and write amazing music. You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the show’s Patreon and you can get a free sentence read by me as well as, at a higher tier, one of the card games I’ve made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
October 26 · 14 min
Questionable Parental Advice (not for kids), Part 1, with Myron Kaplan
I ask my dear friend, musician, playwright, producer and everyone's uncle/auntie/guru Myron Kaplan all of life's most important questions. Included: turtle kisses, whether I am Jewish, and where I was before I was born. Find Myron at Their Patreon: Your Frenetic Friend. They're also very good at juggling and write amazing music. You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the show’s Patreon and you can get a free sentence read by me as well as, at a higher tier, one of the card games I’ve made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
October 23 · 3 min
Serious Nonsense Is Back Next Week!
Coming up in the new batch: questionable parenting advice, conversations about Blackness, Wet, Soggy, Damp or Dry?, one man's encounter with famed actor Wallace Shawn, and the questionable origins of NBC. And so much more. But first, I gotta beg. If you want all of this, click this link and become a Patreon member. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
September 15 · 12 min
Fake German with Gabe Bullard
Gabe is serious about making life difficult for himself. So much so that he moved to Switzerland and is now learning German. Can he distinguish between real German words and the ones I've made up? Can you? (Not a question directed to native German speakers, sorry). If you want to learn more about Gabe you can visit gabebullard.com, and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the show’s Patreon and you can get a free sentence read by me as well as, at a higher tier, one of the card games I’ve made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
September 14 · 15 min
Gabe Bullard Wants You To Make His Life Harder
I talk to Gabe Bullard, a great writer and thinker and fun guy about why he wants things to be more difficult. That's his problem. Follow him at https://www.gabebullard.com/ and find a place to buy his book here. You can send this podcast to your friends via PocketCasts |Apple | Spotify. Enjoy! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 22 · 17 min
Vinegar, Mithril, Adamantium with Sam Jones
Sam Jones entertains a bunch of silly questions sort of related to chemistry, including fictional metals and solving a problem about cleaning coffee-making devices. Useful! If you want to learn more about Sam Jones you follow the American Chemical Society's podcasts (they're Tiny Matters and Chain Reaction, and they're *great*). You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the show’s Patreon and you can get a free sentence read by me or, at a higher tier, one of the card games I’ve made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 20 · 19 min
Mandela, Berenstein Bears, Death, and Memory with Sam Jones
Sam Jones of Tiny Matters and Chain Reaction tells us about the Mandela Effect, death in space, death on Earth, and what we might want to misremember. If you want to learn more about Sam Jones you can visit the site for the American Chemical Society's podcasts (they're Tiny Matters and Chain Reaction, and they're *great*). You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the show’s Patreon and you can get a free sentence read by me or, at a higher tier, one of the card games I’ve made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 17 · 15 min
How To Lose Intentionally with Dana Gartland
Ever try to break up with someone and it just didn't take? How about trying to get fired? Dana Gartland has got your guide to doing it right. Or wrong. Or something. If you want to learn more about Dana you can visit her Instagram here and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. Sign up for the show's Patreon and get a free sentence read out loud on the show as well as a free card game that I made up myself. Quick thing: If you liked this game, I really want to hear your stories about intentionally screwing up! Email me about it at acvaldez@joyfulamazing.biz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 16 · 17 min
Pantomime and Childhood Risk with Dana Gartland
Dana Gartland tells us her tale of breaking through on stage in a uniquely British tradition. Caveat: this episode is not suitable for children or people who have dealt with sexual abuse, so please be aware. If you want to learn more about Dana you can visit her Instagram here and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. Sign up for the show's Patreon and get a free sentence read out loud on the show as well as a free card game that I made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 10 · 14 min
Two Sentence Horror Stories with Zach Mortice
I did my best to creep out Zach. Maybe you have a better two-sentence horror story? If so, send it to me! acvaldez@joyfulamazing.biz. You can find out more about Zach at his website and more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. Sign up for the Patreon and get a free sentence read out loud on the show as well as a free card game that I made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 9 · 15 min
The Spookiest Building Ever with Zach Mortice
Zach tells us about the scariest building ever, which you might remember from a favorite movie. Definitely download this one with a VPN. You can find out more about Zach at his website and more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. Sign up for the Patreon and get a free sentence read out loud on the show as well as a free card game that I made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 9 · 15 min
SNACKS with Negar Ahkami
We talk about snacks, choices, and rankings. WHAT IS THE BEST SNACK? Listen and find out. You can find out more about Negar Ahkami's art at her website. Negar is making history here by writing me post-interview with a caveat: I realize my Tortilla vs KooKoo Sabzi required a more nuanced response! I needed to give the question the seriousness it deserved and not be so impulsive! Tortilla just happened to be what I was craving in that moment on an empty stomach! If it were March or April I would say KooKoo Sabzi hands down (seasonally, my cravings for this are it its peak, and with farmer's market bounties of herbs then, plus Ramps which are incredible in KooKoo Sabzi, there is nothing better to me!) If I were allowed to eat one or the other in a sandwich or with something accompanying it, I would also say KooKoo! Probably my favorite thing ever right now (since my cousin served this to me) is eating KooKoo sabzi wrapped in Persian bread, with a cornichon pickle, and dollop of yoghurt. But if I had to choose between them completely alone, with nothing else, Tortilla Española! You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast/ and now you can support the show on Patreon. Sign up! I'll say a sentence of your choice if it's not something mean. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 7 · 12 min
Dance Because It's Important with Negar Ahkami
Negar Ahkami tells me about why she makes dance floors as art. You can learn more about Negar at her website and you can find out more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Also! If you like the show and want to support it, consider joining the Patreon. For just five bucks a month, I'll say any sentence you want on the show, and for $10/month you'll receive a free copy of one of my tabletop games. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 2 · 15 min
Punctuation and Honorifics with David Malki !
David and I discuss the virtues and problems with various weird symbols and titles and evaluate whether we'd use any of them. You can find more of David's comics at Wondermark.com and you can find out more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz. By the way, if you want to support the show, consider signing up at our Patreon page. For $5 a month, you'll get a single sentence of your choice on the show. For $10 I'll mail you a copy of one of my original tabletop games. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 1 · 15 min
Collage and The Terror of the Blank Page with David Malki !
David walks us through the process of coming up with funny collages, as he does at Wondermark.com, a wonderful collage comic. You can find out more about David at the link above or about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
June 29 · 11 min
Things That Don't Exist with Ryan North
Ryan's written a comic about things that don't exist. But he's also written an entire book on how to invent everything. Can he explain himself? Let's find out! You can learn more about Ryan at the links above, and more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
June 26 · 13 min
Dinosaurs And Other Comics with Ryan North
In which Ryan and I discuss dialogue, the socratic method, and more about writing comics and dialogue. You can find out more about Ryan at dinosaurcomics.com or ryannorth.ca. Like Serious Nonsense? You can find out more about it at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. <3 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
June 25 · 10 min
Girls vs Cartoons For Adults with Alex Sujong Laughlin
In which I challenge Alex to tell us whether certain quotes are from Lena Dunham's "Girls" or some other place. A personal favorite: just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand! You can find more of Alex's writing at Defector.com or the latest season of her podcast Try Hard here. Want to know more about Serious Nonsense? Visit JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast. Catch you soon! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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